May 8, 2016

Review of Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

*an ARC of this book was given to me during BEA 2015 from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman is a book that I received (and got signed!) last year in the Harlequin booth during BEA 2015. I had no idea what it was about and it didn't even have a cover at that point but I had heard that it was good so I decided to give it a chance and go for it. Fast forward to May 2016 when I've finished Legacy of Kings and I can tell you that it was one of the best choices I've ever made in regards to books, not only was it an enthralling read but it was also a book that I would have regretted not getting.

If I had to describe this book in a few words, it would be a "historical fantasy about the reign of Alexander of Great." The world-building and settings certainly showed it to be that way as we saw all parts of the world from Macedonia to Persia and even more. Each area came with its "own" character that gave it even more detail and helped engross me. But the real beauty of Legacy of Kings wasn't just the world-building it gave us (although they were, like I said amazing) but the settings to come in the future that it hinted at. Alexander the Great conquered vast parts of the world and considering that, it can only mean that there is a lot more to come as he goes to different parts of the world. Historical fantasy is sub-genre with lots of books in it but I can honestly say that I for one have never encountered one with the same breadth of detail that Legacy of Kings has.

This is a book about Alexander the Great which obviously means that the main character is Alexander himself. However, this is Alexander as a prince before he becomes king and conquers multiple territories for Macedonia. Through that we get to see the events that lead up to what he does in the future and how he accomplished them. As important as Alexander was, the other characters in Legacy of Kings were just as important if not more so. Each chapter had a different POV from a different character (five characters in total). Each one started off in a different location and then eventually "met up" and interacted with each other. It was kind of disconcerting when the POV first changed but then I became used to it and even started looking forward to it as each one was a new story to follow and read about. Most books usually have a clear antagonist but with Legacy of Kings it was actually pretty hard to figure out who was the antagonist. Whether it be the Aesarian Lords or Alexander's sister, they all had valid and logical reasons for what they were doing; making it hard to tell who was on which side. However, protagonist or antagonist aside; all the characters were skillfully written with plenty of detail and development to keep them interesting and worth reading about. They all have tasks they are trying to accomplish and who knows how they might help or hinder Alexander in his road to becoming the Alexander the Great we know today.

While I'm not sure if the sequel to Legacy of Kings will be at BEA this year I'm already eagerly anticipating the day I get to read it and if it is there it will be on the top of my list of books to get. Eleanor Herman has managed to craft an amazing tale of Alexander the prince and the events leading up to him becoming king. Legacy of Kings would be a good read for people who enjoy history, fantasy, and mythology.